Re-imagining employability: an ontology of employability best practice in higher education institutions

This paper uses a thematic analysis of academic articles, reports and case studies to identify employability best practice in higher education institutions with a particular emphasis on the arts and humanities

Theatricalizing Dissent: An Examination of the Methodology and Efficacy of Performance in Contemporary Political Protest

Activists and artists are consciously bringing theatre to the forefront of contemporary protest interventions. This thesis examines the efficacy of performative modes in acts of theatrical dissent. My research is based on case studies from the UK, Paris, Belgium, and the United States which staged interventions, often experimenting with different democratic models of relationships and often prefiguratively, and which campaigned on social, economic, and political issues: against austerity, climate injustice, and consumerism. They employed diverse performative modes: Rough Music, Guerrilla Performance, Play and Gaming, and the creation of a Temporary Autonomous Zone. The Practice as Research component provided the perspective of an insider through my participation in theatrical dissent organized by artists and activists, and through my own work, HOUND (2016), which incorporated a variety of performative modes previously identified as efficacious. Activists seek to expose, through their own performances, the performances of power and legitimacy staged by corporations and governments; and to advocate the necessity for change. Some elements of these modes may militate against political efficacy, whilst others contribute towards it by working to avoid a crude and heavy-handed didacticism by encouraging spectators to collaborate in the performance. I identify and analyze the elements of performance modes which may be conducive in supporting and sustaining activists; and those which may ignite an interest in a cause in spectators. To be a dissenter, to some extent, is to be an outsider, one who questions society’s norms and mores. I argue that theatrical devices (such as ‘making strange’ the everyday), provide the necessary distancing for audiences and participants alike to question the ‘normal’. This is the first step in an exploration of dissent provided by theatre’s ability, when staged as dissent, to create new political realities

The Value of Marine Conservation

The marine environment provides essential ecosystem services that are critical to the functioning of the earth’s life support system and the maintenance of human well-being. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are recognised as being the mechanism though which marine natural capital may be conserved. This thesis focuses on the value associated with marine conservation in a case study area, Lyme Bay, England where a ‘closed area’ was created in 2008. A review of literature spanning 20 years shows that despite sound ecological knowledge of a marine area, the reliance on traditional neo-classical economic valuations for marine spatial planning can obscure other issues pertinent to the ecosystem approach. A further valuation of the marine leisure and recreation industry shows that the industry is of economic significance and that the MPA enables the protection of the most valuable sites but has limited benefits for protecting the full resource base. In terms of ecological value, a ‘service orientated framework’ was developed to enable decision makers to understand the links between benthic species, ecological function and indirect ecosystem services. Results spatially identify which ecosystem services occur and demonstrate the value of the MPA in ensuring delivery of these ecosystem services. In relation to the social value of the MPA the research reveals that support for the MPA is strong amongst the majority of stakeholder groups. Values are expressed as the economic, environmental and social benefits of the MPA. However, there have been clear social costs of the MPA policy and these have been borne by mobile and static gear fishermen and charter boat operators. Each valuation methodology can inform decision making. Though, if ecosystem service valuation is to become a deliberative tool for marine conservation and planning, then there is a need for a larger societal discussion on what activities and trade-offs society considers acceptable.Marine Institute, Devon Wildlife Trus

Understanding instruction: How severely brain injured pupils make meaning in the mainstream secondary classroom

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Evaluating the impacts on health outcomes of Welsh Government funded schemes designed to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low income households: A comparison of individual level and area based schemes.

Introduction Living in a cold and/or damp house can damage health. To reduce fuel poverty in Wales, the Welsh Government developed domestic energy efficiency schemes - an individual-level scheme, Warm Homes Nest and an area-based scheme, Warm Homes Arbed. Both schemes provide improvements to those most likely affected by fuel poverty. Objectives and Approach Overall aim: to evaluate the health impacts of Welsh Government funded schemes designed to reduce fuel poverty. Presented objective: to investigate the relative impact of the individual-level and area-based schemes on the health of recipients. A longitudinal dataset was created using the anonymised residence that received improvements linked to residents’ health measures (hospital admissions, GP prescriptions and clinical diagnoses) using routine health records held in the SAIL Databank at Swansea University. We used difference-in-difference (DID) estimations to compare any changes in recipient health before and after intervention with any concurrent change in health in those yet to receive the intervention. Results An analysis of the Warm Homes Nest Scheme, published in 2017 and presented at the IPDLN 2017 conference found a positive impact of the scheme on the health of recipients. This presentation will describe the further analysis (concluding shortly) comparing the area-based Arbed scheme with both the recipients of the individual-level Nest scheme and groups in comparable need that had not yet received the intervention. We will present results focussing on the relative impacts of the two schemes on cardiovascular, respiratory and general health. Conclusion/Implications Providing home energy efficiency interventions has the potential to benefit population health; however, there is a scarcity of evidence comparing different methods of implementing schemes. Our findings will inform more effectively-focussed home energy efficiency schemes and potentially thus improve the health of people living in Wales

Thinking allowed: use of egocentric speech after acquired brain injury (ABI)

This paper explores the use of thinking aloud made by young people who have sustained a severe acquired brain injury (ABI). The phenomenon is compared with the concepts of egocentric speech and inner speech before the form of thinking aloud by pupils with ABI is examined. It is suggested that by using thinking aloud, this group of pupils is able to engage in internally persuasive dialogue and is therefore enabled to take part in classroom learning

A policy impact case study using real world data from Welsh government fuel poverty schemes to inform scheme design

Objectives To reduce fuel poverty in Wales: the Welsh Government developed schemes to provide energy efficiency improvements to lower income households. To inform scheme design: investigate health impacts by linking scheme data to health records. Presented objective: to demonstrate how research findings using real world data can impact policy focus. Approach The research was conducted by an independent researcher at Swansea University who co-produced research questions with the Welsh Government Fuel Poverty Policy Team. A longitudinal dataset was created linking anonymised ‘Warm Homes: Nest’ improvements data to residents’ routine health records in the SAIL Databank at Swansea University. We examined recipient health before and after intervention compared with controls. A high-level policy briefing and research report were published in the Welsh Government Social Research – Analysis for Policy series. Findings were used to design and pilot new eligibility criteria to capture low-income individuals with a respiratory, circulatory or mental health condition. Results This presentation will describe the policy impact pathway from initial discussions with policymakers to real world change, including: • securing ESRC funding for a Knowledge Transfer Fellowship, which included a 2013 data linking demonstration project… • …which allowed funding to be secured for a 2015-18 research project on the impact of improvements on recipient health… • …which published emerging findings in 2016… • …and substantive findings in 2017, showing a significant positive impact of improvements on recipient health… • …which policymakers used to design a pilot to test ways to widen eligibility criteria to include individuals on a low income with a respiratory, circulatory or mental health condition… • …which led to scheme criteria being widened in 2019. By 2021, 25% of recipients entered the scheme via the ‘health route’. Conclusion By delivering research findings generated using linked real world data, and focused on questions co-produced with policymakers, researchers can successfully impact the design and implementation of government policy, thereby improving the lives of people in the real world - in this case, the health of the citizens of Wales

Evaluating the impacts on health outcomes ofWelsh Government funded schemes designed to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low income households: A comparison of individual level and area based schemes.

Background To reduce fuel poverty and its adverse health effects in Wales the Welsh Government developed programmes to improve the energy efficiency of homes. This includes the fuel poverty scheme: ‘Warm Homes Nest‘. The scheme was available to low income and vulnerable households in Wales from 2011 to 2015, and provided energy efficiency measures e.g. insulation and heating upgrades such as a more efficient boiler, aimed to maintain warmer homes. Objectives The overall aim was to evaluate the health impacts of Welsh Government funded schemes designed to reduce fuel poverty through the use of existing data linked to the routine health records held in the SAIL Databank at Swansea University. Method We created a longitudinal dataset of individuals living in residential dwellings in receipt of home energy efficiency improvements, then linked to their health records to create a summary of their health utilization measures. We used difference-in-difference (DID) estimations to compare any changes in recipient health before and after intervention against any concurrent change in health in those yet to receive the intervention. Findings We have built upon our previous work presented at the ADRN 2017 conference where we reported a positive impact of the Nest scheme on the respiratory health of recipients. We will show a significant impact on respiratory conditions leading to a change to the eligibility criteria for the successor scheme. We will discuss our ongoing work analysing the impacts of the Nest scheme on mental health outcomes. This will include the findings from the literature search demonstrating the need for more evidence using objective outcome measures, and on selecting and utilizing validated codes developed for administrative data to investigate any changes in common mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Conclusions Providing home energy efficiency interventions has the potential to benefit population health. Our findings will inform more effectively-focussed home energy efficiency schemes and potentially thus improve the health of people living in Wales